


doubt in the snow

by hungry_hobbits



Category: The Hateful Eight (2015)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Canon, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:28:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24723049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hungry_hobbits/pseuds/hungry_hobbits
Summary: When the quiet one worries, you've got to egg the doubt out of him.
Relationships: Joe Gage | Grouch Douglass/Oswaldo Mobray | Pete Hicox
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9





	doubt in the snow

**Author's Note:**

> prompt fill from tumblr and also my first hateful 8 ficlet so sorry if its not entirely up to snuff ;3c

They were readying the ride to Red Rock when the first flurries of the oncoming storm hit. It was winter in Wyoming and therefor to be expected, but still Jody’s demeanor darkened with the whitening of the sky.

“It’s gonna be a bad one,” Marco wrapped his scarf around his neck as he walked out into the snow, “think we can beat it?”

Jody shook his head, “No choice but to.” He left it unsaid but only because they knew what would happen if they didn’t get there in time.

Grouch had been out in it most of the morning, the “muscle” of the gang had to do the heavy lifting, after all. He kept quiet more than most of them, and knew better than to get on Jody’s bad side when he was anxious like this. But none of Jody’s plans sat right with him, and it was written more on his face than he intended.

“Plannin’ on freezin’ your bollocks off before we get to the haberdashery, Joe?” Pete thankfully didn’t have to be in character around the gang. He kicked his way through the snow that had already piled up during the night to stand next to Grouch in the yard, “Been out here all mornin’, at least come inside for a bit ‘fore we spend the next several hours in a box.”

“I’m fine right where I’m at.” Grouch stared out into the encompassing woods, arms folded and eyes narrowed as if he were waiting for something.

“Right, what’s with the poutin’, then?” Pete poked him hard in the bicep which rewarded him with an irritated grunt from Grouch, “You been quiet all mornin’. Well you’re _always_ quiet, but more so than usual n’ it’s puttin’ me off, love.”

Grouch grumbled and sighed and put off expressing his worries. Part of him wondered what the point was of speaking bad energy out into an already bad situation, but he knew how intuitive Pete could be, so maybe he felt similarly.

“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” Grouch didn’t take his eyes off the horizon but he could hear the snow crunching with Pete’s fidgets, the man clearly and impatiently hoping for more out of Grouch, “You know I trust Jody as much as anyone, but I can’t shake it.”

“ _That all?_ ” Grouch looked down with furrowed brow at the small Englishman, who put a hand up defensively, “Don’t get upset, I understand the worry but what’s the point?” He rocked on his heels, “Jody’s prolly thought about every which way this could go.”

“He’s not thinking from the right place…”

“But has Jody ever steered us wrong, mate? Don’ think so.” Pete walked to the front of Grouch and took a lapel of his jacket in each hand. He tugged twice, and Grouch rolled his eyes before bending down slightly, “Now don’t go establishin’ a funk, I _know_ you know better than that.”

Grouch started to stand straight, but Pete jerked him back down, closing the distance between their faces and leaving their nose tips touching. In a blurry, cross-eyed way Grouch could see the grin on Pete’s stupid face.

“Plans simple enough: we go, we do the ol’ graceful, we get Daisy, n’ then after all that maybe even a lil’ whack or two in Red Rock if Jody’s feelin’ generous, which – should things go accordin’ to plan, he most likely will. Then it’ll be back home in no time. No worries, no frets.” Pete pressed more into Grouch’s face, urging him to respond or else have his nose bent more. Grouch grumbled a soft ‘yeah’, face now pink from more than just the cold.

The grifter released Grouch from his hold and stood with a puffed posture, thinking he had done a good job of morale boosting.

“Right, let’s get goin’. Jody’s fixin’ to send me to the skies with his bloody pacin’.”

Grouch sighed, no turning back now. He brushed the snow from his hair and followed Pete back to the rest of the gang, not feeling any better from the conversation. But at least he didn’t feel any worse.

**Author's Note:**

> writing for the terror fandom has taught me some victorian british slang that i can make pete say so things work out ;3c
> 
> 1\. establish a funk - to create a panic  
> 2\. do the graceful - to fascinate, to charm  
> 3\. little whack - small quantity of spirits  
> 4\. send to the skies - murder
> 
> original posted to hungry-hobbits.tumblr.com


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